Wound-care guide · Patients and families
Skin graft and donor-site aftercare basics
The graft and donor site need protection, consistent dressing care and close attention to color, drainage, bleeding and movement restrictions.
Protect the graft from friction, pressure and unnecessary movement
Report darkening, bleeding, odor or loss of adherence
Questions for the procedural team
Written instructions should cover both the graft and the donor site.
- When can the dressings be changed?
- What color and drainage are expected?
- What activity or weight-bearing restrictions apply?
- Who should be called after hours?
What to watch
Changes should be reported rather than covered with a new product without direction.
- Graft lifting, darkening or drying
- New bleeding, odor, redness or increasing pain
- Donor-site drainage or dressing saturation
- Fever or a sudden change in the patient’s condition
Procedural decisionsThe surgeon or procedural clinician directs decisions about graft failure, revision or return to the operating room.
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